Bolivar, MO — The Bolivar High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) program is set to continue, ensuring that students will have ongoing opportunities to develop leadership skills, discipline, and a commitment to service.
Since 2006, the AFJROTC program at Bolivar High School has provided students with valuable leadership training, character development, and aerospace education. The program’s enrollment requirements, set by the Air Force at ten percent of a school’s total enrollment, equates to about 85 students for BHS. For the past five years, Bolivar’s program enrollment ranged from 45 to 55 students, which resulted in the program being placed on probation in the fall of 2022. When the program faced potential uncertainty for 2025-26 due to continued enrollment concerns, the Bolivar R-1 School District and school board members worked diligently with the United States Air Force to find a way to continue the program. The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which Congress passed in December 2024, included a provision to lower the JROTC enrollment requirement from ten percent of total enrollment to 50, which allowed Bolivar High School to continue this important program.
“We are thrilled that the Air Force JROTC program will continue to serve our students,” said Dr. Michael Methvin, Superintendent of Bolivar R-1 Schools. “This program instills discipline, integrity, and leadership—values that extend well beyond the classroom. We are excited to see the program thrive for years to come.”
This exciting news has allowed the district to move forward with the hiring of a new instructor as SMSgt. Steven Bender, who has been in the role since 2020, has announced that he will retire from the Bolivar School District at the end of the school year. Replacing Bender will be MSgt Jamie Wells, who has served in the Air Force for the past 20 years and, from 2017-2021, served at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri.
“I'm honored and excited to be part of the JROTC program and the community of Bolivar,” said MSgt Wells. “I look forward to continuing and building on the outstanding work that SMSgt Bender has with Bolivar High School and the current and future JROTC cadets.”
Most recently, Wells served as Superintendent of Fuel Operations for the 2nd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, overseeing a team of 61 personnel and managing $38 million in petroleum and cryogenic assets.
Retiring SMSgt. Bender expressed his enthusiasm for the program’s future. “Our cadets have worked hard to build something special here in Bolivar. With the addition of MSgt Wells, we can continue offering students these life-changing experiences. I look forward to seeing them grow and succeed.”